Meals on Wheels of RI, Inc.

Program Description

Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island programs utilize a unique service model to simultaneously address food insecurity and social isolation in order to reduce the risk for loss of independence amongst homebound and other vulnerable older adult Rhode Islanders.

Our Home-Delivered Meal Program provides homebound Rhode Islanders a daily delivery of a complete and nutritious, fully prepared meal right to their door, alongside a safety-assuring wellness check and a social visit with a program delivery driver. Program clients also benefit from the Emergency Meal Program, providing a box of 5 (five) shelf-stable meals each fall, ensuring they have access to healthy foods should any unforeseen circumstances prevent daily meal delivery.

Our Capital City Café Program offers more ambulatory seniors the opportunity for socialized dining at community sites located throughout Providence, including an LGBTQIA+ café site.

All program meals are offered Monday-Friday and meet one-third of an older adult’s daily dietary requirement.

About Us

We were founded in 1969 by gerontologist Joseph Brown (1924-2014) who began Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island by serving hot lunches to 17 Providence seniors along a single delivery route. In 2022, we are serving meals five days per week on 79 delivery routes statewide and expect to serve 3,000 or more homebound Rhode Islanders this year. In July 2022, we delivered our 20-millionth home-delivered meal.

Eligibility

For our Home-Delivered Meal Program, clients must 60 years of age or qualify through a state Waiver program, be homebound (unable to safely leave the home on their own) and not be a participant in an adult daycare or dining program on a day that they are scheduled to receive meals.

For the Capital City Café Program, clients must be 60 years of age or older, or under 60 and live with a disability or receive general public assistance.

How to Apply

For the Home-Delivered Meal Program, clients first fill out a referral form, found on our website. The form may be filled out and submitted online or downloaded, printed, filled out and mailed in to: Meals on Wheels of RI, Inc., 70 Bath St., Providence, RI 02908.

Upon receiving the form, a client’s eligibility will be confirmed by a member of our home-delivered team. Once a client’s eligibility is confirmed, they will be enrolled in the program.

For the Capital City Café Program, clients register with an enrollment form found on our website.

Contact

Shana DeFelice, Programs & Mission Impact Director

Phone: (401) 351-6700

E-mail: sdefelice@rimeals.org                      

Address: 70 Bath St., Providence, RI 02908

Website: www.rimeals.org